Voldemort's Last Secret
by Sianatra
Summary: When Harry Potter's daughter, Lily, meets Voldemort's son, Tom, she is launched into a romantic journey that will question everything she has ever learned about the worlds of good and evil. Please read and review!
1. Prolouge

_To clear up any confusion, I just want to say thank you to my best friend Katie (imobsessedwithharrypotter) for working with me to develop this story idea! She rocks!_

Voldemort's Last Secret – Prologue

It was May 12, 1998. A cool, bone-chilling breeze flew through the treetops, sending leaves plummeting to the ground. A ghostly howl echoed throughout the inky night, sending animals scurrying into their dens, shivering with fright. The moonlit forest quivered with anticipation, almost as if it were waiting for something.

Two shadowy figures emerged from the darkness. Short in stature and pale as a sheet, their graceful steps barely made a sound upon the crunchy, thick undergrowth. The young girl of the pair turned to her brother. Her glittering violet eyes were magnified by the gloomy surroundings; they sucked in light like a black hole. Her ethereal complexion shone in the eerie light as she tucked a loose stand of midnight black hair beneath the folds of her hood. When she spoke, her voice sounded like a musical lullaby – soft and simple, yet sweet and sincere.

"I hope this will be the last time Daddy freezes us in time," she remarked conversationally, stepping over a particularly large tree root with practiced ease. "How I wish I could finally be a teenager!"

Her brother, equally handsome as she, smiled softly. Unlike his talkative twin sister, he mostly kept to himself. His stunning green eyes reflected the shimmering moonlight as he replied to her hesitantly. "I'm not exactly sure he'll lift the curse – today, that is. Unless he manages to kill Harry Potter tonight, we have to stay a secret."

The girl merely rolled her eyes and strode off, her pace inhumanly fast. The boy hurried to keep up with her, his feet dancing over the obstacles in his path. Within a few minutes, they had come to the heart of the forest. Figures in cloaks swarmed around the clearing, like flies attracted to honey. The girl's eyes widened with excitement as she caught a glimpse of her father. She made a move to run to him, but her brother caught her arm in a viselike grip.

"You can't just jump out in front of all those Death Eaters! They have no idea who you are! You'd be blown to bits before you could even call for help!" he whispered ferociously.

His fierce gaze softened as he saw the frightened look in his sister's eyes. He relaxed his hold on her arm, and gathered her into a warm hug. "I just don't want to lose you, that's all," he murmured, his chin resting on the top of her head. "You're the only person who understands me."

The girl's eyes brimmed with sympathy. "And you're the only one who understands me, too." She returned the embrace, and then rubbed her hands together expectantly. "I hope this turns out to be a good show."

"Of course. Father says Harry will do anything to save his friends, that hopeless loser."

The girl smirked, revealing perfectly white teeth just underneath her blood-red lips. "Hopeless loser, indeed."

The two waited in silence for what seemed like hours. Finally, a dark shadow emerged from the fog. The twins head triumphant laughter, and a bolt of red light shot from the end of their father's wand. The girl let out a muffled squeal. "Finally!" she whispered.

She turned with rejoicing eyes to her brother. However, he looked drawn and worried, quite the opposite of what she had anticipated it to be. She nudged him gently on the shoulder.  
"What's the matter?"

She followed the train of his stare, letting out a gasp when she saw what was undergoing in the clearing. Their father had crumpled to the ground, a mask of pain etched on his face. One of the Death Eaters, Bellatrix, was trying to help him back to his feet. The only good news about the whole situation was that Harry Potter lay on the ground, dead. The young girl let out a whimper and collapsed to the ground, where she lay still. Her brother knelt down next to her, stroking her hair gently. He murmured words of comfort to her, but she still remained motionless. How could her father, her father of all people, have been knocked down by an opponent? He, who was always victorious?

The girl looked up hopefully as the commotion in the clearing ceased. Her father was back on his feet, unsteady, but standing. She let out a sigh of relief, and cast an angry glare at the boy who had got him in this whole mess – Harry Potter. The stupid kid lay on the ground, his glasses askew, never to move of breathe again. Though the girl couldn't help it, she felt a surge of victory wash over her. Now, she and her brother could finally come out of hiding and join their father in the new world he was going to build. Just thinking about it sent shivers of happiness up the girl's spine.

The crowd of Death Eater's clamored forward to the castle, hoisting the limp body of Harry Potter up into the air. The twins followed the scene eagerly, though making sure to stay concealed in the shadows. When they finally reached the castle, the two siblings paused. The girl cast an anxious glance at her brother. "Should we follow….?"

He shook his head. "No. Father told us to remain hidden. Unless you want to question his authority, of course…."

She tossed her head impatiently, then sat down upon the thick undergrowth, watching and waiting for her father to emerge from the castle, victorious and mighty. Soon, her brother joined her in her silent vigil. The two lingered quietly for what seemed like hours, holding hands, and staring at the looming castle. They waited, but their father never came out.


	2. Family and Food Fights

Family and Food Fights

"Lily!" James called, hurtling himself down the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Come on! You'll miss all the fun at Grandma and Grandpa's house!"

Lily sighed and rolled her eyes, slamming her book with an annoyed snort. _Can't a girl get a little peace and quiet around this house? _She thought to herself.

She slowly began to descend the staircase, taking her time, just to antagonize James even further. No one was going to tell _her_ what to do. She let out a little shriek as Albus streamed past her, almost knocking her over.

"Sorry, Lily!" Albus yelled over his shoulder as he raced out the door.

Lily just grunted. Apparently the peace and quiet that she had hoped for wasn't going to come anytime soon. Now she was going to be dragged to a stupid "end-of-summer-party" and be forced to spend her last few moments of the break listening gloomily to Uncle Ron tell stories of the "good old days" and pretending to pay attention to Victoire, who was constantly bragging about how many boys she'd gone out with. Not Lily's idea of fun at all. She'd much rather be curled up in her room with a good book, or maybe even lounging in the living room, playing Gobstones with James and Albus.

Finally, she reached the door and stepped out into the bright July sun. A faint breeze caressed her face, whispering softly to her like an old friend. Maybe going to the party wouldn't be that bad. At least it would be outside.

She made her way over to where the rest of her family stood waiting rather impatiently.

"Merlin's Beard, Lily! We thought you would never come!" her father teased gently. "Now take your broomstick, and we'll be off." Lily raised her hand over the handle of her broom. "Up!" she commanded. It rose to her hand, and within a few seconds, she was straddled and ready to go.

The family took off into the sky. The wind whipped Lily's hair into tangled knots, but she didn't even care. It was just great to be flying again. Soon, they were above the clouds. James flew past her in ecstatic twirls, showing off his inherited flying abilities. Albus, on the other hand, looked somewhat worried, his broom bobbing up and down violently. It seemed that heredity had not blessed him with his sibling's airborne gifts. Harry and Ginny exchanged amused glances.

Before long, they had reached the Weasley household. Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione greeted them at the door, all smiles, and gathered Lily into a warm hug. Rose and Hugo popped out from behind their parents, their faces alight with joy. The Potters were welcomed inside to a visual feast. The walls of The Burrow were covered in vivid colors and bright wallpaper, which provided an almost overwhelming first impression. Uncle George, Uncle Charlie, and Uncle Percy stood in the far corner of the room. From what Lily could hear, they were having what seemed to be a very serious conversation about the recent escape of a heard of dragons in the southeast. She managed to spot Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur talking to a very disheveled, distressed-looking Victoire who was lounging dramatically over a patched sofa before Lily was whisked away to the backyard by Uncle Ron. Lily let out a muffled snigger. At least she wasn't the only one who didn't want to be there.

"So, Harry, where's Teddy?" Ron questioned as they took their seats. "I thought you said that he would be coming tonight."

Harry grimaced. "Teddy, is in fact, at another party. I tried to convince him to come join us, but…" he trailed off, making a shrugging gesture. "What's the use? He probably would have snuck out of coming here anyway. Let the poor kid have a bit of a break."

Ron nodded in approval. "He definitely needs some time to himself. I just can't believe how old he is already."

"They _do_ grow up fast, don't they?" Harry spoke sadly, ruffling Lily's hair. "Lily's starting her first year at Hogwarts already."

"Ah…I remember when we were kids." Ron mused, a note of humor entering his voice. "Those were the days. Sneaking around at midnight under your invisibility cloak, playing the occasional game of Quidditch, and of course, the very unimportant task of fighting evil…"

James' laughter rang through the air as the rest of the family joined them at the table. Victoire tossed her long, silvery blond hair behind her back and sat down in a huff. Aunt Hermione cast Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur a sympathetic look, then waved her wand over the table. An eruption of colorful treats overflowed from the golden bowls that had seemed to simply pop out of nowhere. The table appeared to sag under the quick arrival of such a large quantity of food.

James looked like he had just died and gone to heaven. Eyes reverent, he reached to grab a spoonful of mashed potatoes. He also snagged a hunk of chicken, a large helping of fruit salad, some green bean casserole, and a handful of party sandwiches. He crammed the first thing he could lay his hands on into his mouth, barely managing to chew because it was so full. His blissful expression rapidly turned sheepish as he received a sharp glare from his mother.

"James Sirius Potter! Have I not taught you _anything_?" she said, disgusted. "Use your manners!"

James just rolled his eyes. Lily felt a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

James looked around stealthily to make sure no one was watching, then loaded his spoon with a chunk of mashed potato. Albus' shocked expression and Uncle George's encouraging one only heartened him further. Concentrating on his target with the air of a professional, he released his finger from the spoon. The hunk of mashed potato flew through the heavens gracefully, landing into his mother's beautiful orange hair with a soft thump.

Ginny turned around slowly, death in her eyes. "Who – threw – that?" she whispered fiercely. She scanned the table until her gaze rested on James, his face full of guilt.

"James."

"Yes, mother?"

"You will pay for this!!!"

A wicked smile crept across Ginny's face as she plucked a large portion of watermelon from the fruit salad. Tossing it up in her hand like a pitcher, she chucked it straight at James. However, it missed, and hit Grandma full force.

"Well…well…I never!" Grandma sputtered, watermelon juice trickling down her face. She raised her hand to toss a piece of chicken at Ginny, but Harry caught her arm.

"She didn't mean to hit you!" he protested.

"Oh really?" Grandma remarked dryly. "Well she apparently meant to hit _somebody_." Grandma freed herself of Harry's grip, stuck her hand into the green bean casserole, and whipped a few of them at Ginny. However, Ginny sidestepped and they hit Uncle George instead. His eyes lit up mischievously, and he cast a look at James.

"FOODFIGHT!!!"they yelled in unison. Pandemonium broke loose. Lily shrieked a handful of spaghetti flew into her face. Around her, the same exact commotion raged. James and Uncle George were in the center of it all, throwing food as fast as they could, chuckling gleefully when it hit its mark. Lily heaved a sigh and ducked under the table before any more damage could be done.

Victoire was also underneath the table, trying to rub a quickly spreading stain off of her stunning white dress. She was in tears, her mascara beginning to drip down the sides of her cheeks. Lily almost felt sorry for her. She remembered the days when Victoire used to play with her. They had so much fun together – that is, until Victoire grew up. She wasn't any fun anymore.

Lily heard Grandpa's voice scream from somewhere above the table.

"STOP!!! ENOUGH OF THIS MADNESS!!! "

James and Uncle George halted in their tracks, dropping whatever food they had been just previously holding. Lily and Victoire looked at each other nervously, and climbed out from under the table to take their seats.

"SIT DOWN!!! NOW!!!"

The two troublemakers jumped off the table and sat down as hastily as possible.

For a moment, everything was quiet.

The silence was shattered by Ron. "Well, that was fun." he said sarcastically, a blotch of plum pudding dangling from his nose.

Lily just looked around at the devastated backyard, at her mother and father's furious expressions, at Aunt Hermione's reproachful one, and at the guilty faces of James and Uncle George. _Maybe my family isn't so boring after all_. She thought to herself with a secretive smirk.


	3. On the Train

The crisp autumn air greeted the Potters as they stepped out onto platform nine and three quarters. Lily's heart thumped in her chest as she caught her first glimpse of the Hogwarts Express. Steam poured from its whistle and its shining scarlet coat reflected the bright midday sun. All around her, she could hear the laughter of friends reuniting and the sobs of parents giving tearful goodbyes to their children. Pet owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and scraping of heavy trunks, while cats of every color and variety weaved their way between people's legs.

Lily stared in wonder at the hustle and bustle, at the colorful sights, at the faces of so many children all gathered together in one place. Maybe some of them would even be her friends. Excitement coursed through her veins.

She turned to her father and mother. They simply stood there, looking at her. With a sudden burst of emotion, Lily raced forward and hugged them tightly. She buried her face in her dad's untidy black hair, miserable that she would have to leave him and mom behind when she went to Hogwarts. Ginny patted her on the back reassuringly, almost as if she could read Lily's thought-process.

"It's going to be all right, dear," her mother comforted her. "We'll send you an owl every day!"

Harry grinned. "And if you get lonely, you always have James and Albus for company!"

Lily groaned. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to resort to spending time with her annoying brothers.

The family's touching goodbye was shattered by the piercing blast of the whistle. Lily's eyes widened. "Gotta go!" she whispered excitedly as she gave her mother and father fleeting hugs. She sprinted off and just managed to jump onto the train before it started chugging away.

It seemed that most compartments were full already. Walking down the narrow corridor, Lily caught a glimpse of James telling a very animated story to a gaggle of giggling fourth years in his compartment. In another, Lily spotted Albus having a very deep conversation with a fellow third year. Sighing, she strolled on. When it finally seemed like the train would go on forever, she found a half-full compartment containing two first year girls and a first year boy. They looked nice enough. Tentatively, she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Can I sit here?" Lily asked shyly. "Everywhere else is full."

The pretty, black-haired girl shook her head enthusiastically. "Sure!" she replied. Lily sighed in relief, and plopped down on the seat next to her.

"My name is Allison, but my friends call me Ally," the girl continued. She gave Lily a cocky wink and gestured to the other girl, who had curly brown hair and a sweet smile. "And apparently, this is Jenna. I have no idea who the boy is though, seeing as he hasn't told us his name yet."

The sandy-haired boy leaned back in his seat casually, his green eyes full of merriment. "I'm Russell." He turned his head to Lily, grinning appreciatively. "And who might _you_ be?"

"I'm Lily," Lily said happily. "It's nice to meet you all!" Everyone exchanged cheerful glances, and Lily's spirits soared. She had made new friends already!

"So…" Ally began. "What House does everybody want to be sorted into? I want to be in Gryffndor!"

Lily smiled. "So do I!"

"Me too!" chimed in Russell quickly, eager to agree with Lily.

Everybody turned to look at Jenna. She blushed scarlet. "Uh...I want to be in Ravenclaw," she admitted. "But I guess Gryffindor would be okaaay..."

Everyone laughed, and after a moment's hesitation, Jenna joined in too. When the laughter ended, the new friends sat in contented silence, staring out the window at the gorgeous countryside that was streaming past them. The golden color of the wheat stalks contrasted beautifully with the cloudless, bright blue sky. It looked almost like a painting – a picture of unfathomable skill and expertise that would continue to delight many generations of Hogwarts-bound students to come.

The silence was shattered as the snack lady made her way down the aisle. "Anything off the cart dears?" she asked. Lily got out of her out of her seat and handed two silver sickles to the woman. "I'll have two Chocolate Cauldrons please."

The woman smiled and handed Lily her treats. "Here you go, dear," she said happily. "Anyone else?"

Russell cast a glance at Lily and stood up. "I'll have three Chocolate Frogs, please." He handed the woman three sickles and took his candy, then plopped back down into his seat with a huge grin.

"Have a nice day, darlings!" the woman called as she clattered away.

Russell began unwrapping his first Chocolate Frog. He sighed miserably when he saw the card, and shoved the frog into his mouth, tossing the wrapper aside. "Anyone need 'arry Potter?" he asked, mouth full. "I 'ave, like, thirty of him."

Lily tensed. _Shoot,_ she thought to herself. _Now I'm going to have to tell them. _She drew a deep breath, then remarked nonchalantly, "Harry Potter? I have about forty of him…he's my dad."All breathing in the compartment stopped. Even Russell's owl stopped hooting. _Oh well,_ Lily thought to herself. _There goes my friends._

Alli was the first to speak. "So, like…uh…you're his daughter?"

Lily nodded, averting her eyes.

Alli's eyes grew huge. "No way!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. "This is too cool! I'm friends with HARRY POTTER'S DAUGHTER! Did you hear that, guys?" she demanded of Jenna and Russell. "His DAUGHTER! Oh, this is simply _too_ cool!"

Lily smiled. Okay. No need to panic anymore. Things were going to be just fine.

Alli continued to babble on about Harry Potter for the rest of the trip, often commenting on how much Lily must resemble Mrs. Potter, because she simply had no idea that Lily and Harry Potter were related in any way, and that oh, Lily must be so proud to have such an amazing person as a father, and oh, _what_ Alli would trade to have a father like that, since her dad was just a plumber. Of course, Jenna and Russell pitched into the conversation a few times, but it was almost as if Alli had been put on high speed and simply couldn't slow down. This, evidentially, was fine with Lily, who rather liked listening to Alli talk.

The ride flew by much too fast, and soon the friends had arrived at Hogwarts, now changed into long black wizard's robes.

"Come on!" Alli squealed excitedly, grabbing Lily and Jenna's hands. "Let's go get Sorted!"

Professor McGonagall led them off of the train and into the Great Hall. Lily gasped. It was so…great. The Sorting Hat began calling names.

"Sophia Allen!"

"Randy Connor!"

"Allison Dupree!"

Alli gulped and took her seat on the stool. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head. After a few moments it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" Everyone clapped as Alli took her seat with the scarlet and gold-clad Gryffindors. Russell and Jenna went next, and they both were sorted into Gryffindor as well.

"Lily Potter!"

It was Lily's turn. She walked up the aisle of all the staring, whispering faces and took her seat on the stool. Almost the second it touched her head, the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily was elated. She was so glad that she hadn't gone to Hufflepuff. Eyes alight with joy, she ran over to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Alli and Jenna.

"Good going, sis," Albus congratulated her. "James and I almost though you might not make it."

Lily punched him playfully. "I know what you're thinking Albus, but there's no way would I ever be a Slytherin." She glanced over her shoulder at James and pretended to puff out her chest. "I'm just too _brave_ for that."

James walked over and ruffled her hair. "Sure, sure. But don't talk now. You won't be so brave when your O.W.L.S are right around the corner."

"Don't worry, I've got about five years left before that happens."

"Oh, you wish. Those years fly by _way_ too fast." James said, feigning seriousness.

"Fine. In that case, I intend to make them last," snapped Lily. "You'd better watch out – Hogwarts will never know what hit it."


	4. The First Meeting

Chapter 4

Five years passed, and soon, Lily was the most popular girl in the school. Her carroty orange hair had matured into a deep, rich auburn, and her bright green eyes were always sparkling with some sort mischief. Just as she had promised James, Lily had made a _huge_ impact on Hogwarts.

She was an all "O" student, and her teachers simply doted on her. Along with academic success, Lily also scored quite well in the social category. Crowds of heartfelt lovers followed her in the hallways every day, hoping she would notice them. Nevertheless, Lily had never met anyone that she truly liked at the school – except, of course, for Tom Elddir.

Tom was a quiet boy, preferring to keep to himself. Little did he know that he was the hot topic of many whispering, giggling girls who stared at him adoringly every spare second they had. He was stunning, all right – perfectly pale, chiseled skin; large, unblinking green eyes; and casually tousled raven black hair. Lily was simply enamored with Tom, and to her bemusement, found herself looking at him quite a bit more often than she should have.

But, however, by some wicked twist of fate, Tom seemed to be the only boy in the school that wasn't drawn to Lily. He almost seemed repelled by her, and made every opportunity to stay away. Lily was dead-out frustrated and totally sick of how he could just walk right past her, without even a second glance. As Lily sat in her dormitory with her best friend, Alli, she decided that it was time to do something.

"Alli," Lily announced grandly. "I think it's time to do something."

Alli looked up from the book she was reading, an amused smile playing about her face. After knowing Lily for nearly five years now, she had become used to her random ideas and inspirations.

"Something about what?" Alli asked, though she was almost sure she knew the answer that was coming. Over the summer, she and Lily had exchanged many letters over the alluring subject of a certain Mr. Tom Elddir. Alli was positive that Lily would try to make a move this year.

Lily sighed dramatically, leaning back onto her pillow. "_Something_ about that handsome boy who evades me day after day, year after year." She put her head in her hands, and when she spoke again, her voice was rather muffled. "I have been trying to win Tom over for so long, Alli. I absolutely loathe it when boys play hard to get, yet somehow, in this case, it only makes the person in question more intriguing." She looked up, eyes wide with sadness. "Do you know that he hasn't ever even talked to me – not even once? He's perfectly fine around other girls, and even flirts with them sometimes, but with me, he just puts up a brick wall and sits behind it, laughing at my feminine stupidity." Lily sighed. "I hate him. I love him. I want to kill him, but at the same time, I fancy him and would really like getting to know him better."

Alli chuckled, tossing her long black hair over one shoulder. "You are the most lovestuck little goon that I have ever met!"

"I know. And it's wonderful."

Alli snorted, and stood up from her seat on the end of Lily's bed. "Suit yourself," she said as she crossed the room. "But I personally don't' see what's so great about him – besides his good looks of course."

Lily groaned, putting a hand over her heart. "Merlin's beard, 'good looks' is _such_ an understatement! Tom is the absolute hottest boy in the world! And what do you mean, 'what's so great about him'? You don't even know him!"

"Well as I've gathered, neither do you!"

Lily smiled in defeat, and put her hands up in the air. "Fine. You caught me. I really don't know him that well – yet," she added hastily. "All I know is that he's handsome, charming, and quite the gentleman, when he's not avoiding me."

"Exactly – when he's not avoiding you!"

Lily laughed and chucked a pillow at her friend's head. "Don't you dare underestimate me, Allison Dupree! By the end of the school year, I _will_ have kissed that boy!"

Jenna floated into the room just in time to hear Lily pronounce that last statement. Her soft, chocolate brown eyes widened as she realized that she had just missed out on something big. "Kiss who?" she demanded, looking around the room, almost as if to see the boy Lily was talking about. "Not that Connor McMullen kid, right? I thought you were over him."

"No, I was never really into him, the poor bloke. I only went out with Connor because I felt sorry for him."

"Then who in the _world_ are you talking about?"

Lily and Alli exchanged guarded glances, and Lily sighed, giving up. No way could she keep this from Jenna.

"Well…err…Tom Elddir, as a matter of fact," Lily said, awkwardly pulling on a loose strand of her hair. "I've fancied him ever since I've started at this school."

"Ooh," Jenna said breathlessly. "Tom Elddir! _What_ a hottie!"

Lily blushed. "I know, right? The only problem is that he's not into me at all."

Jenna covered her mouth to suppress a flood of giggles. "Not that into you? Lily, that boy is absolutely gaga for you, and that's the only reason he acts the way he does. It's just to make you more interested in him!"

Lily's eyes sparkled. "Really?" she asked, hoping with all her heart that what Jenna was saying was true.

"Of course! Merlin's beard, you're not too skilled at this whole love thing are you?"

Shaking her head miserably, Lily replied, "No, not really – could you please tell me how I can get him to notice me? Sometimes it feels like I'm just not good enough or something –"

Alli interrupted, a look of disapproval on her face. "Not good enough? Really, Lily? You're the sweetest, prettiest girl at the school, and you think you're not good enough? I love you, but sometimes you can be so thick. What you really need to do is open your eyes and look at the real you – the beautiful one on the inside," concluded Alli, pointing at her chest. "That's all that matters."

Jenna sniggered. "Profound, Alli. Very profound." She eyed Lily critically, then turned again back to Alli. "But why don't we get the outside of her looking beautiful as well? That might attract Tom even more."

Alli folded her arms and nodded, taking in Lily's not very well thought-out outfit. "I agree," she said. "The sweatpants must go. And that T-shirt is absolutely hideous. What we need is something a lot more…seductive."

"That works for me!" Lily said happily.

"I thought it would."

Together, the girls rummaged through Lily's wardrobe, and after much trial and error, found the perfect outfit: a silky, black shirt with a low sweetheart neckline; a pair of faded denim mini-shorts; and even an adorable heart-shaped necklace that Alli found while scrounging through the bottom of Lily's trunk. A touch of eyeliner and mascara, and Lily was simply smashing. Jenna and Alli both gushed over how cute she looked, and commented on how Tom would certainly fall for her today.

In high spirits, the girls made their way out of the dormitory and into the Gryffindor common room. "So, what's the plan?" Lily asked, leaning up against an overstuffed red armchair. "Do I just walk up to him and say hello, or what?"

Jenna narrowed her eyes in concentration. "I believe that the best approach would be to run into him," she said, thinking hard. "If things happen quickly, he won't have a chance to shut down and ignore you."

"Ooh!" Alli squealed. "And make sure that you're carrying books or something, so that when you run into him, he could pick them up for you!"

"Err, really, Alli?"

"Yeah! It would be so romantic!" Alli exclaimed, ignoring the note of sarcasm in Lily's voice. "You should totally do it!"

"Okay then. But it just sounds so cheesy…like straight out of a romance novel or something."

"I know. Do it for me though, will you?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders and turned to Jenna. "What do you think?"

However, Jenna didn't answer; she was still thinking. The chances were pretty slim that Lily would just conveniently bump into Tom at some random part of the castle. What Lily needed was a strategy, some way to guarantee romantic success for herself…and then Jenna got it.

"I've got it!" she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "Tom is _always_ studying at the library. If you go there, I'm sure you'll be able to find him!" She smiled hugely, glad the problem was solved.

"Jenna, you're a perfect genius!" Alli declared. "The library would be the absolute best place for Tom and Lily to fall in love!" She looked at Lily with an eager gleam in her eyes. "You should probably go now. Tom usually leaves right before lunch, and it's getting to be that time."

Lily took a deep breath. From here on out, she would be alone. Biting her lip, she gave Jenna and Alli each a hug, and then with one last look at the Common Room, she clambered out of the portrait hole and into the corridor.

Hogwarts seemed darker than usual today. A cool breeze blew in from one of the open windows, and Lily shivered, quickening her pace. She hoped that the weather would remain pleasant for the Quidditch match later – Gryffindor vs. Slytherin – the first game of the season, and Russell's first game as team captain. Alli would be playing with Russell as a Chaser, Jenna would be the Keeper, and Lily would be playing Seeker. However, if the weather didn't hold up, there might not even be a game at all.

Lily hurried on, anxious for her meeting with Tom. She wanted him to like her so bad, it was bordering on an obsession. If something went wrong…well, Lily didn't want to think about that.

As she rounded the corner to walk into the library, Lily ran right smack into a familiar somebody – a familiar somebody with piercing green eyes and messy black hair. She let out a little shriek as she fell to the floor and the books and papers she had been holding went flying in all directions. _Stupid Alli,_ Lily thought to herself, cursing. _Why did I listen to her idea about the books?_

Lily's mind raced as she tried to think of what to say, or what to do. Jenna and Alli hadn't discussed what would happen _after _she bumped into Tom!

She looked up and her eyes met the other worried pair. Lily's heart gave a sporadic little burst. He was close. Really close. _Shoot._ Way too close. She scooted away a bit, afraid of the tingly sensation that was taking over her body.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized sincerely, but Lily barely heard him – she was too busy looking at his gorgeous face. It took her a few seconds to realize that he expected her to answer.

"Uh – uh," she stammered. "No problem. It was my fault. I wasn't really paying attention."

He smiled briefly and held out his hand. Lily stared at it blankly, quite unsure of what to do. Tom's smile faded as quickly as it had come, and he swirled around, anger etched into his face.

"Have a nice day," he said curtly, grabbing his book bag. He started to stalk away, but Lily sprung up and caught him but the shoulder.

"Tom, wait! Won't you at least stay…and – and help me…with my books – or something?"

He looked at her disbelievingly for a few seconds, then knelt down, shaking his head with wonder, and began collecting her books.

Lily turned deep red. _Oh shoot._ This was mortifying; not anything like she would have wanted her first encounter with Tom to go like. Why, why did things have to go so terribly wrong?

Tom stood up and handed Lily her books back. A smile crept across his face again as he noticed her humiliated expression. "Why don't you walk with me?" Tom suggested. "I could use a bit of company."

"Walk with y – wait, _what_? Pardon me?"

"I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me. Is that too much to ask?"

Lily struggled for air. Tom wanted to take a _walk_ with her. As if things weren't bad enough already. _Don't say yes, don't say yes, _her conscience told her.

"Sure!" she gasped, ignoring the little voice inside her head. "That would be…lovely!"

Tom smiled, a real smile for the first time. '"Where would you like to go?" he questioned.

"Anywhere would be fine." Lily managed to choke out. "You choose."

Tom thought for a moment, then asked, "How about in the courtyard? There won't be too many people there at this time of day."

"Uh – sure."

"Alright then." Tom looked at Lily again curiously, but decided not to say anything further.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes. Inside her head, Lily was practically dying. Why did she get herself into this? Now she would have to walk with him – and talk – and humiliate herself again. Then, he would realize that she was nothing but a nobody, and forget all about her. _Arrgh. _Lily couldn't bring herself to give up yet. She might as well try to make conversation before she was deemed unworthy.

"So…um…Tom," Lily started, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "You've never talked to me before, and now it's like the dam of words has burst. What gives?"

Tom chuckled darkly, eyes flickering from Lily's face down to the floor. "I just figured that I couldn't really evade you any longer. At some point, I would have to talk to you." He shook his head madly. "I just couldn't stay away from you any longer. It was like, fate, or something when you ran into me there by the library…" he trailed off, staring into the distance, fearing that he'd said too much.

Lily opened her mouth to ask a question, but Tom moved on, hastily dropping the subject. "So, Lily, how's your family doing? I heard that your brother, James, got a job at your Uncle's joke shop."

Lily beamed. She was touched by two things: the first was that Tom had said her name for the very first time, and the second was that he knew what was going on in her life. Lily admitted that it was a bit stalker-ish, but she kind of liked it.

"Yeah," she replied, feeling a bit more comfortable now. "James just got a job at Uncle George's joke shop. I bet he's having loads of fun now," she said wistfully. "He never really did like school. Always getting into some kind of trouble, my brother. Him and Uncle George relate really well," she laughed, remembering the latest family gathering. "At our last summer picnic, they started a food fight."

"How'd that happen?"

"Long story. You don't really want to know."

"Ah, I see." He moved on. "And how are your parents doing?"

"Quite well, as a matter of fact. They send me letters every week. Apparently, they've been working in the garden a lot, ever since Mum got a load of new Bitterweeds for her birthday. She's been planting like crazy, and Dad's attempting to put up a hammock, though from what I've heard, it isn't going too well."

Tom chuckled, and Lily smiled. This was going _so_ much better than she'd expected.

"What about _your_ family?" she asked. "How are they?"

"We don't talk," he said curtly, brows furrowed. Lily noticed that his whole body had gone rigid and stiff, almost as if merely talking about the subject of his family brought back a flood of bad memories.

The light happy mood vanished, and Lily felt embarrassed once again. _Why did I have to ask that question?_ she thought to herself. _Stupid, stupid Lily._

"What about Violet?" she asked tentatively, hoping she wouldn't get another bad reaction. "Is she doing well?"

Tom let out a deep breath and seemed to relax a little. "Yes," he said finally. "Violet's doing splendid. She just made the Quidditch team."

"Oh, really?" Lily asked. "What position does she play?"

"Seeker."

"No way! Me too!" Lily exclaimed.

Tom stared at her. "I know," he said. "I've seen every match you've played in. You're really good at Quidditch, you know."

Lily blushed at the compliment. Tom thought she was good at Quidditch!

"Well," she began. "It's kind of in the family. My dad and grandpa were Seekers, and my mum was a Chaser. We all feel at home on brooms." She laughed. "Except for Albus, of course. He's absolutely terrified of heights."

Lily's eyes widened as she realized that they had already walked through the courtyard and had made it back to the corridor that led to the Gryffindor Common Room. _Did time really fly that fast?_ she thought to herself incredulously. Lily didn't want it to be over yet –

"Here you are," Tom said as they stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Back home safe and sound."

"I wish I wouldn't have to go." Lily groaned. "That was really fun. Now the only thing I have to look forward to for the rest of the day is the Quidditch game."

"I'll be there, don't worry."

Lily's eyes sparkled as a huge smile lit up her face. "Thanks," she said happily. "I'd really like that."

"Anything for you."

Lily's heart gave another little flutter as she looked again at Tom's eyes. They were so probing, so intense…so close.

Laughing nervously, Lily backed up and turned around to face the Fat Lady. "Porcupines," she whispered under her breath, so that Tom wouldn't hear the password. The portrait swung open, and Lily stepped inside. She cast one last glance at Tom before the picture closed, and smiled. She felt his gaze trained on her back long after the he had vanished from sight, almost as if he were staring right through the portrait and into her heart.

.


	5. Tom's Predicament

Chapter 5

Tom ran a trembling hand through his untidy black hair, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he had just done. Not only had he just talked to Lily, but he had also carried on a conversation with her._ And _she had fancied him. This was not good. Not good at all. Tom knew that it would only end in disappointment, so why then, did he keep seeing Lily's shining, beautiful face whenever he closed his eyes?

"Stupid hormones!" he muttered to himself angrily, descending the stairs that led to the Slytherin common room. "They're getting the best of me! I just have to let this go. She's just a girl." He exhaled. "Just a beautiful, amazing girl. That I'm in love with. Just a girl that I can't get out of my head. And that I love. Just a girl with the most amazing smile in the world. And I simply love her – "

Tom collided with someone for the second time that day.

"Ah!" the person shrieked, and toppled to the floor. "Watch where you're going, will you?"she demanded.

Tom sighed in relief as he recognized his sister's voice. "Sorry, Violet." he said, reaching down to help her stand up. "Wasn't paying attention."

The pretty, black-haired girl brushed the dirt off her clothes indignantly, staring at her brother's face with a question in her eyes. "What happened to you?" she asked, tilting her head. "You look _awfu_l."

Tom grimaced. "I feel awful. But let's not talk here," he said, placing a finger over her questioning lips. "I don't want anyone but you to hear this."

Violet nodded, and took his hand. Together, they walked to the Slytherin common room. "Pureblood," Violet said to the portrait, and the door swung open. She led Tom inside and sat next to him on the couch, her face worried. "Tell me, Tommy, what happened?"

Tom took a deep breath. "Two words, Violet – and you're not going to like them. Lily Potter."

She groaned, leaning against his shoulder. "I really don't want to know what happened – but tell me more."

"I just couldn't _resist_!" Tom said anxiously, shaking his head. "She bumps into me, and the next thing you know, she's on the floor, and then she asks me to pick up her books, and I do, and then I asked her to go on a walk with me because I felt sorry for her. We talked, Violet, and I was truly happy for the first time in months. _Months._ And when she left, I felt like she had taken a piece of my heart with her. And I was all alone. Without her." His voice broke on the last sentence, and he put his head in his hands.

Violet patted his arm reassuringly, trying to calm him down. "It's okay," she soothed. "It's going to be alright, perfectly alright…"

Tom jumped up from his seat, eyes smoldering with rage. "No! It won't be alright!" he yelled at his sister. "Don't you understand? I can never be with her – _ever!"_ Don't you _get_ it?" He stabbed a finger at his chest. "I'm Voldemort's son. She's Harry Potter's daughter. Don't you think things might get a bit _complicated_?"

Violet didn't respond, she just looked at the floor.

"Exactly! You understand now!" he bellowed in triumph. "You understand what I'm going through! I've loved Lily ever since I first saw her, Violet! It was all I could do to stay away from her, to try to live a life without her!" he hollered, closing his eyes in frustration. "But now, I'll have to break her heart. I'll have to stay away. She just can't be with me."

"Why not, Tom? Why _can't_ she be with you?" Violet snapped angrily. "You're in love. Why should who our father is _keep_ you from that?"

Tom's bright green eyes shone with tears. "Because, Violet." He said softly. "I want her to be safe. From me. From who I am."

Violet's gaze softened, and she pulled him back down onto the couch, stroking his arm. "Tommy," she began gently. "You're the sweetest, kindest person that I know. You would never hurt Lily!"

"How do you know that?" Tom whispered hoarsely. "How do you know that I wouldn't hurt her?"

Violet stroked his cheek. "We're nothing like our father, you know. We don't have to continue his legacy, or be bad guys like him. We just have to accept the fact that some things can't be changed, and move on with our lives."

Took shook his head, moaning. "I can't do that, Vi. No matter how hard I try, I'll never be able to move on, not after Lily. I just can't."

"You could at least try."

"I can't."

Violet sighed loftily. "Will you please stop saying 'I can't'? You _can_ Tom. You really can." She stood up and started pacing. "Remember the night in the forest?" she asked him. "Remember how desperate we were that night? Our father had just died – we had no idea what to do, and not a single soul to turn to. But we didn't just say 'we can't' and give up, did we? We made it, and even though it took us fifteen years to break the time- freezing spell, we did it. And do you know why?" she looked at him steadily. "Because we _never gave up_."

Tom stared at his hands hopelessly. "I don't want to give up," he admitted. "But I don't want Lily to have to suffer because of me."

Violet rolled her eyes. "Lily doesn't have to suffer because of you. Heck, she doesn't even know who you are, where you're from, or anything, and she still loves you!" She pointed a finger at her brother. "_You_, Tom. Not the Tom Elddir who is Voldemort's son._ You_ – plain old Tom Elddir, an ordinary boy who goes to Hogwarts with his pretty sister, Violet, and is in love with a redheaded girl named Lily, who plays Quidditch and is the most popular girl at the school."

Violet knelt down in front of Tom, eyes glittering with excitement.

"And here's the best part," she whispered into his ear. "Lily will never have to know the truth! She'll never have to know who you really are!"

Tom looked at his sister, confused. "But that would be lying to her!" he protested.

Violet rolled her eyes. Sometimes her brother could be _so_ stupid. "What Lily doesn't know won't hurt her," she hissed, striding over to the window. "Sometimes, in order to get your way, you have to keep some things from certain people."

"That – that doesn't seem right," Tom continued to object. "I don't want to have to hide things from her."

Violet whirled on him, face contorted with fury. "In order to be perfectly happy, you'll _have_ to hide things from her!" she screamed. "And that's all I want – for you to be happy – perfectly happy – with me, all of your friends, and Lily. I don't want to see you tearing yourself apart like this!" She opened the dark green curtains, and light flooded into the room. Apparently, the grey clouds that hinted of rain earlier had moved on, and it was a beautiful day now.

Tom joined her by the window, gazing out onto the dark green lawn and the gloomy forest that lay right behind it, the forest that held so many emotions, so many forgotten memories...

"It seems so long ago, doesn't it Vi?" he asked sadly. "Almost as if it were a dream."

Violet looked at him fondly. "And it _was_ just a dream," she assured him. "That was almost twenty-four years ago, Tom. That was who we were back then."

She spun around wildly, arms outstretched. "And this," she said rather breathlessly. "Is who we are_ now_. Now, we have a life, a real life that we can do whatever we want with!" She started skipping about. "No more restraint," she declared. "We're totally, perfectly, wonderfully _free_; free of everything in the past; free to go on with our lives!" She tilted her head back and laughed, a quiet, musical sound that seemed to fill the whole room with its beauty. "We're attractive. We're smart. We're charming. We can take the whole world by storm if we want Tom, and no one will even care!" She smiled, revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. "We control our destiny," she said. "And how we control it is up to you."

Tom was bewildered. How was it possible to just let go of the past, of all the memories and experiences? Was there really a way to go on – to forget about what had happened, forget who he was, and attempt to live a normal life? Looking at his sister's bright, happy face, Tom decided that he might as well give it a try. It seemed like it worked for her.

Tom linked his hands with her rather cautiously. "Together," he breathed. "Together, we control our destiny. From now on, there's no more looking into the past – just the future; the bright, blinding future."

Violet smiled widely at him. "That's the spirit," she said happily. "The past is behind us now."

Later that day, as Violet sat in her room getting dressed for the Quidditch match, a huge smile broke out across her face. She had actually managed to convince Tom to forget about past, like she had been trying to do for years. Now they could go forward into the world – two brave, strong siblings who could do anything they wanted to. Violet narrowed her eyes as she remembered a snag in her plans – Lily Potter. _That stupid, whiny little girl_, Violet thought to herself. _We need to get her out of the picture somehow._ And then, a brilliant idea came to her. Violet grabbed her broom and scurried off to the Quidditch match.

_What if_ _Lily Potter never came back from the game alive? _Violet thought to herself happily as she huffed up the stairs. _Then,_ _everything would work out just fine…_


	6. The Fateful Game

Lily breathed in exhilaration as she stepped out onto the Quidditch pitch. The fresh smell of newly mowed grass and the screams of awaiting fans drifted on the breeze. As always, the nerve-wracking sensation of the season's first game coursed through Lily's body, shaking her to the core. She stared out into the mass of gold and scarlet-clad Gryffindors and spotted Albus sitting with some of his friends, laughing casually. It made Lily feel slightly better, and she began walking towards where her team was standing by the side of the field. Jenna, Alli, and Russell were there, along with the other three members of Lily's team – Jonathon Tabor and Peter Winton, who were both excellent Beaters, and Kelsey Tanner, who played as a Chaser.

"Okay, team, listen up," Lily heard Russell say as she approached. He looked up in surprise as Lily joined the group.

"There you are, Lily!" he exclaimed, grinning. "I almost thought you weren't coming! Couldn't have a game without our favorite Seeker, now could we?"

Lily was saved from having to answer by Alli, who came her rescue.

"No, of course not," Alli said briskly. "Now what were you saying before Lily came, Russell?"

Russell snapped his attention back to his team, cheeks tinged faintly pink. "Is everyone listening?" he asked. The team nodded. Russell took a deep breath and continued. "This is our first game as a team, and my first game as a captain. The Slytherins might think we'll go down easy, but we have to prove them wrong!" he said encouragingly. "A lot of effort has been put into this moment. We've trained really hard for this match, and I'm not going to let those little snakes crush us today. I say that we give it all we've got, and make sure we come out on top!" He looked around at his team, beaming. "Are you all with me?" he demanded.

"_Yes!_" the rest of the team yelled in unison.

"Then let's do this!" Russell declared, eyes shining. He grabbed his broomstick and mounted it. The rest of the team mounted their brooms as well. Lily's heart beat faster. _This was it!_

"For _GRYFFINDOR_!" Russell bellowed as he shot off into the sky. "And for _VICTORY_!"

The rest of the team followed, streaking onto the Quidditch field. Lily squinted her eyes as she ascended, trying to see better. The bright day was beautiful for a trip to the beach, but not so swell for a Quidditch game. _At least it's not dark and cloudy anymore, _Lily thought to herself grudgingly. _Better to be stuck in the sun than in the rain. _

Lily glanced around at her teammates anxiously, biting her lip. Jenna hovered quietly in front of the goalpost, while Russell, Kelsey, and Alli floated intently above the center of the field. Peter and Jonathon drifted just above them, swinging their bats restlessly, waiting for the game to start.

The Slytherins flew up to their positions, and Lily spotted Violet, Tom's sister, among them. She waved happily. "Good luck!" Lily shouted across the field.

Violet smiled falsely, waving back. "You too!" she chirped sweetly. Muttering under her breath, all traces of niceness gone, she whispered to herself, "_You're going to need it_!"

The whistle blasted, and the game began. The players took off in a scarlet-gold and silver-green blur as the quaffle was throw into the air. Alli caught it first, and the commentary started.

"There goes Allison Dupree of Gryffindor with the Quaffle!" the commentator yelled, his voice magnified by the loudspeaker. "She passes Troy, flies over Johnson, and…"

Alli threw the Quaffle at the left goalpost, catching the Keeper off guard.

"She SCORES!" the commentator rejoiced. "Ten points to Gryffindor!

Lily smiled as Alli did a victory lap, pumping her fist into the air. The Gryffindors cheered loudly, chanting her name with a frenzied sort of enthusiasm.

"Good job, Alli!" Lily yelled, though her voice was lost among the hundreds of other congratulators. She shrugged, and scrutinized the Quidditch field for the snitch. It apparently didn't want to be found yet, so Lily flew on, circling the area, just in case it decided to make an early appearance.

The next play started. A burly, seventh year Slytherin caught the Quaffle and speeded toward the Gryffindor goal posts.

"Dustin Foreseer has caught the quaffle!" the commentator said. "This guy is really fast, he's flying right by all the Gryffindor chases, and it looks like he's going to score..." The Slytherins broke out into cheers, encouraging their Chaser along.

Lily's face grew worried. She hoped that Jenna would be able to save it. The Slytherin Chaser chucked the ball at the right goal post, laughing. He thought the battle had been won – but it hadn't. Jenna pulled off a quick broom maneuver that allowed her to stop the Quaffle just in time. The Gryffindors went wild.

"UNBELIEVEABLE!" The commentator screeched. "Jenna Wilder has saved the Quaffle!"

"Jenna!" Russell shouted hoarsely, eyes bugging out of his head. "That was amazing!"

Jenna flushed bright pink, beaming. "Thanks!" she called back, embarrassed at the attention.

The game went on. After ten minutes, Kelsey had been rescued from a Bludger by Jonathon, who happened to save her just in the nick of time, Peter had cracked a Bludger at the burly Slytherin's head right before he scored a goal, and Alli and Russell had each scored two more goals each. The score was now 50 – 10 to Gryffindor, and the scarlet and gold supporters were in high spirits.

However, the snitch was yet to be seen. Lily scanned the field, looking everywhere for even the tiniest flash of gold, but it seemed like the flittering little ball wasn't about to reveal itself anytime soon. Lily's eyes strayed away from the game and to the crowd. Her heart fluttered when she saw Tom sitting on the Slytherin side, staring at his with those intense, hypnotizing eyes of his. He smiled charismatically when he saw Lily looking at him, and she had to catch her breath. He was _so_ gorgeous…

"What do we have here?" the commentator asked, interrupting Lily's fantasies. "It looks like Violet Elddir has seen something!"

Lily gasped and whirled around, cursing herself for being distracted by Tom. She groaned, realizing that what the commentator had said was true – Violet was speeding downward, eyes intent on a glimmering speck of gold that darted about in front of her head…

Lily urged her broom forward, pushing it as fast as it could go. Speed was the only thing that mattered now.

"And it looks like Lily Potter has seen the snitch as well!" the commentator exclaimed delightedly. "She's speeding towards Violet Elddir with all she's got, but will it be enough…?"

Lily pressed herself down onto the polished, wooden handle of her broom, trying to get as much acceleration as possible.

"C'mon." she mumbled. Her broomstick shot forward. Within a few seconds, she was neck and neck with Violet, racing downward in pursuit of the snitch. Simultaneously, both girls reached out their hands to catch the golden ball, but it darted away at the last second, and Lily and Violet found themselves colliding.

"Oh, Violet!" Lily gasped, righting herself on her broom. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Of _course_ I am, Lily!" Violet simpered, tucking a strand of windblown black hair behind one ear. "That was all _my_ fault."

"No, no it wasn't, it was my fault, I'm so, so sorry – "

"Forget it, Lily," Violet said sweetly. "No harm done! See?" She showed Lily her face and arms. "No scratches or anything!"

Still apologizing, Lily flew off.

Violet's hand clenched around the handle of her broom until her knuckles turned white. _How dare that little bitch ruin my first shot at glory, then actually try to apologize? _She thought to herself._ Lily stole Tom from me, and now she's about to steal my first game as well. I won't let that happen – I just won't._

Violet shook her head grimly._ Lily would have to pay._

Making sure that no one was watching, Violet pulled out her carefully concealed wand from under her Quidditch robes, and pointed it at Lily's head.

Lily recoiled as the curse hit her. Pain seared through every limb in her body, and she wailed. Liquid fire was surging through her veins, clenching and squeezing at her heart until she couldn't breathe anymore. The pain was unimaginable, and Lily felt herself slipping from consciousness. Her grip on her broom weakened, and then she was falling down, the wind rushing through her hair and whipping her face as she plummeted to the ground, screaming all the way. It felt like seconds. It felt like years. But then, Lily finally collapsed in a heap onto the muddy ground of the Quidditch pitch. She lay still and motionless, limbs splayed in all directions, blood dripping from her head. The world went black.

* * *

"But Madam Pomfrey, are you sure she'll be alright?" Alli demanded, gesturing to Lily's pale, unmoving form. All of Lily's friends were gathered around her bed in the hospital room, tears running down their cheeks.

Madam Pomfrey looked at her patient with a deep sigh. "I'm not sure," she told Alli grimly. "Lily fell a long way down. She has countless broken bones, her skull is fractured in three places, and she's bleeding internally. She'll be lucky to make it out of this alive."

The room fell silent.

Crying softly, Jenna took hold of Russell's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. He patted her back awkwardly, his tears running of the bridge of his nose and into her curly, windswept brown hair.

Albus crouched by Lily's bedside, holding her limp hand and murmuring words of comfort into her ear, praying that she would be okay. James stood next to his brother, having just Apparated from the joke shop. His eyes were solemn and downcast for the first time in his life. He stroked Lily's hair with a gentle sort of sadness, remembering all the happy times they had spent together.

Kelsey, Jonathon, and Peter stood huddled together by the bed, staring at their teammate's face.

And in the corner of the room, Tom sat in a hard-backed plastic chair, his head buried in his hands. Madam Pomfrey's words echoed through his head. _She'll be lucky to make it out of this alive. _Tom couldn't believe it. His beautiful, shining Lily might not live to see another day.

Madam Pomfrey looked around the room sadly. "Visiting hours are over, everyone. It's seven o' clock. Lily needs her rest now."

James looked up, outraged. "Lily _is_ getting her rest!" he said furiously. "Can't you see that she's kind of _unconscious_ right now?"

"Mr. Potter, lower your voice! You don't want to wake her up, do you?"

"No, I don't, but I want to stay with her!"

Madam Pomfrey sighed understandingly, lowering her guard. "Very well then – 30 more minutes."

James nodded briefly, and turned his attention back to Lily.

The next few minutes passed by in silence. The only time Lily showed signs of life was when her eyes fluttered – the sole proof that she was still clutching to existence.

The clock dinged at the half hour. Madam Pomfrey stood up, straightening her skirt. "I'm sorry dears," she said. "But visiting hours are over now."

James knew better than to argue this time. He rose abruptly from his seat and stalked out of the room. Albus followed him closely. One by one, Kelsey, Jonathon, and Peter made their way out of the room, until only Tom, Jenna, Alli, and Russell were remaining.

"Bye, Lily," Jenna whispered sadly, blowing her fried a kiss. "Please, please get better!"

Alli nodded in agreement, tears falling down her cheeks. "We need you," she said shakily. "I don't know what to do without you here."

Russell just looked at Lily wretchedly, eyes brimming over with grief.

Arm in arm, the three friends left the room, doing their best to console each other.

By now, Tom was the only one left. He stood up from his chair and walked over to Lily's bed. He took her hand gently, stoking it with his long, pale fingers. "Whoever did this to you, Lily, I'll find them. I'll make them pay," he vowed, eyes trained on her motionless face. "I'll make them suffer."

"I don't want to see you this way," he continued. "You look so weak, so emotionless – so unlike yourself. Even if it takes me forever, I'll find out who did this. Even if I have to search for the rest of my life, I'll figure it out. Because I love you, Lily. I love you so much. If you die, nothing with ever be right again." Hesitating, he hovered over Lily's immobile form. Making up his mind, he leaned down and kissed her lightly, merely brushing his lips with her forehead. But it was enough. Shaking his head with pain, Tom departed, casting one last glance over his shoulder as he went. Lily's face was still white and blank, but somehow, Tom detected an almost peaceful look about her – almost as if she knew what had just happened.


	7. Inside Lily's Head

It was a long night. Lily was trapped inside her own head, trying to break free, but all she saw was darkness. She tried to close her eyes and escape from the black void, but then she realized, with a start, that her eyes were already closed. Dim patterns danced around in front of her field of vision, swirling about wildly and making her head hurt even more. Lily just wanted the pain to stop. She wanted to get out of her head. She wanted to be with her family again, with her friends. And most of all, Lily wanted to see Tom. Desire to be with him burned deep within her heart, much more passionate then it had been in the past. Something had changed between them at the Quidditch game, and Lily knew that her little schoolgirl crush had matured into something much bigger. She had a suspicion that Tom felt the same way, too. He kept staring at her, and truthfully, Lily liked it – she liked being loved by someone. It was such a nice feeling to believe that you were needed by someone; that without you, their life would be empty.

As Lily lay there, she realized that she had never felt this way about any other boy. Tom was special. He was one of a kind – sweet, charming, protective, and fantastically good-looking – and he loved her. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread through Lily's body. Tom loved her. _It was true_, she concluded. _Otherwise, he wouldn't be bothered with me._

If Lily could have smiled, she would have.

She reluctantly brushed aside the subject of Tom and resolved herself to think about more important matters. Like who had tried to kill her. Lily just couldn't understand why someone would want to hurt her like that. She'd never done anything rude or insulting to anyone, and she was a sweet person by nature. Lily could barely even remember a single instance in which she had purposely put someone down. So the question remained – who did it?

Though she thought for a few minutes, Lily couldn't come up with an answer. Irked by the darkness and her inability to discover the person who tried to kill her, Lily stopped thinking for a few moments. She drifted away on a stream of unconscious thought, loving how in this new world of her imagination, there seemed to be nothing wrong. Everything was perfect and peaceful, and stress didn't even exist. She could just fly, and not have a thing to worry about. Lily almost wished she could stay, but then took it back immediately. Tom wasn't there. Lily knew she could never be perfectly happy without him.

And so the night passed.

For hours, Lily's thoughts floated between Tom and the puzzling mystery of who tried to kill her. At about two in the morning, she blacked out, the stress of the day finally getting to her.

Now there was nothing – no thinking, no dreaming, no control over anything – just darkness, and the sound of her own shallow breathing as Lily struggled for life.


	8. Broken Bones and Revelations of Love

During the middle of the night, Madam Pomfrey opened the door to the hospital wing and peered inside. She breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at her patient. Aided with countless bandages, immeasurable spoonfuls of Skele-Gro, and a whole lot of internal binding tape, Lily seemed to be making a miraculous recovery. Her paralysis was starting to wear off already – every now and then, her fingers would twitch slightly.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head in amazement. Lily was a very strong, determined little girl. She had refused to give up the fight, and kept on going with all she had. Never before had Madam Pomfrey seen anyone heal so fast, especially from such a major head injury. Lily was truly lucky to be alive. Though it would be a few weeks before she could function properly again, the most important step was over. Now all she needed was rest.

A small smile creeping across her face, Madam Pomfrey quietly shut the door. The room was swathed in darkness once again.

* * *

Three days after the incident, Lily opened her eyes. The bright, familiar colors greeted her expectantly, swirling and twisting about until they formed solid, tangible figures. Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She could see again. She was getting better. Lily tried moving her head to the right, but it wouldn't budge. She tried opening her mouth, but it didn't listen to her.

_Oh well!_ Lily thought brightly. _At least I can see!_

Albus jumped with a start as he realized that Lily's eyes were open. "Lily!" he exclaimed, rushing to her side. "Good Lord, Lily, don't scare me like that again! I was so afraid for you!" He grasped her hand in his comfortingly. "I thought you might die!"

Lily once again wished that she could smile. Albus could be such a dear when he felt like it.

"At first, I had no idea what had happened to you!" he continued, shaking his head. "I was talking to my friends and not really paying attention to what was happening in the game."

Lily's eyes narrowed in mock anger at this remark and Albus laughed good-naturedly, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry," he apologized. "But nothing much exciting was happening."

Lily accepted his repentance, and her eyes returned back to normal.

"So anyway, I was talking to my friends, and suddenly I heard this scream. Bone-chilling, it was. I ignored it though, thinking it was some crazy fan girl or something. But then, commotion broke loose. People started yelling and pointing at the field, and I looked. I really shouldn't have, Lily," he said frowning. "When I saw you, I must admit, I panicked. You looked so...broken. Your arms were all spread out and blood was dripping from every part of your body. It looked like some ghastly scene from a horror movie or something, and I confess, it shook me right up."

Lily's eyes asked a question. _What happened to me? Why did I fall?_ She thought.

By chance, or some delusional coincidence_, _Albus managed to follow along with what she was thinking.

"I didn't know what had happened to you, Lils! All I knew was that you were hurt – and I had to help. I ran out of the stands and onto the field. No one quite knew what exactly to do, so I just picked you up and carried you here," he said, motioning around the room. "I knew this was where you needed to be. Madam Pomfrey worked her magic on you, and now, you're getting better again!"

Lily's eyes shone with a strange happiness. Albus had carried her! How sweet! He really wasn't such a bad soul after all. Maybe she should make a point to spend more time with him…

"James popped in a few minutes after you fell," Albus commented suddenly, interrupting his sister's train of thought. "I sent him a Patronus, and he came as soon as he could." He smiled impishly and looked for some sort of reaction in Lily's eyes, knowing his statement wouldn't be ignored.

A reaction he got. Lily's eyes bugged out of their sockets. _James_ had actually come to visit her? She could understand why Albus might be worried about her, but _James_? He was a totally different case!

Albus chuckled at Lily's response. "See for yourself," he said, holding out two small, packaged boxes. Lily recognized them instantly – a joke assortment kit from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and a large container chock full of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Lily was touched. Her teasing, foolish older brother had felt sorry enough for her to come and make sure she was all right? It was somewhat close to a miracle. She and James had never been close, seeing as their age difference separated them from doing most things together. But now, Lily realized, James had actually cared for her. It made her feel so much better. Even though James was an annoying, irritating tease, he loved her, deep down inside. Lily didn't know exactly_ how_ far deep, but that didn't matter.

"A lot of other people were here too," Albus went on. "After you, fell you know. The rest of your team came. So did Jenna, Alli, and your friend Hussell – or maybe it's Russell? Whatever. After about 20 minutes, Mum and Dad showed up. Worried, they were. Kept asking stupid questions like how far you fell, what happened after you fell, etcetera. I think they were just too worried to accept the blatantly obvious fact that you might not survive."

Albus frowned. "There was someone else in the room as well, but I can't remember his name. Tall, skinny fellow with dark hair and green eyes. Do you know him?"

Lily's eyes sparkled. Tom had been there!

"I didn't like the looks of that boy, Lily," Albus said broodingly. "He seemed like he was hiding something."

This observation didn't hinder Lily, and her eyes remained sparkling.

"You're not going out with him are you?" Albus demanded agitatedly. "He's a Slytherin, Lily, for crying out loud! You should know better!"

The sparkle vanished. Lily rolled her eyes in frustration.

Albus grimaced. "Sorry, sis, but I'm just trying to keep you safe. If I were you, I would stay away from that boy."

This remark only earned him another glare.

"Fine," Albus admitted wearily, running his fingers through his hair. "I can't tell you what to do anymore. You're growing up, and you have to learn how to make your own choices in the world. But please, Lily, try to stay safe? For me?" he asked. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

Lily's eyes agreed in consent, though she refused to listen to his mistaken advice about Tom.

Albus looked at his watch, and let out a small gasp. "Oh, shoot!" he muttered, gathering his things quickly. "I'm going to be late for my Transfiguration class!" In one fluid motion, he swooped down and kissed Lily's cheek. "Bye, Lils!" he said, already running out of the door. "I'll visit soon! Get better, okay?"

Lily's eyes twinkled. She could manage that just fine.

* * *

Three days later, Lily could talk again. Not for very long or extended periods of time, but talk nonetheless.

On that day, Russell dropped by.

"How's it going, Lily?" he asked as he sat down near the foot of her bed. "I heard you were getting better."

"Yeah. I'm feeling loads better now."

"That's good to know. Good to know…" he trailed off, not seeming to be quite sure of what to say. Clearing his voice, he began anew. "So, Lily, I've been wondering…we've been friends for a while now, and I just wanted to ask…"

Lily closed her eyes sadly. _Here it comes,_ she thought, bracing herself. _Russell's had a crush on me for years. He's probably going to ask me to go out with him now, _she thought to herself. Lily hated to decline Russell's offer and make him feel bad, but there simply wasn't anything between them – they were just friends, and that's how Lily wanted it to stay.

Russell's face grew ashen with embarrassment. "… if you…you know, would…err, maybe, liketogooutwithme?" he rushed, confirming Lily's suspicions.

Lily sighed gently. How could she disappoint him? If only Alli were here, or Jenna, maybe they could help her –

Then Lily's eyes snapped wide open. Jenna! Jenna had liked Russell ever since third year! This was the perfect opportunity to get Russell to realize his affections for her!

"Russell," Lily said patiently. "You _do_ know that we're just friends, right?"

Russell's shoulders drooped somewhat. Rejection hurt.

"But, there's someone amazing who's been right under your nose this entire time," Lily persisted. "Someone with curly brown hair and big, brown eyes. She's beautiful, and smart, and sweet. You hang out with her all the time, and she's loved you for a while now."

Russell cocked his head, puzzled. "You mean Jenna?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, I mean Jenna."

"Wow," Russell said, blinking rapidly. "This_ is_ news."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before anyone talked again.

"You honestly think she does?" Russell asked, breaking the silence.

Lily smiled weakly. Russell could be so blind to some things. "I _know_ she does."

Beaming, Russell stood from his chair. "Well," he said, rather flustered. "I suppose I'd better go talk to Jenna." He turned around and began walking out of the room. "Bye, Lily! Feel better!" he hollered, looking over his shoulder.

Lily bit her lip uneasily. "Russell, we're still friends, aren't we?"

"Of course Lily!" Russell affirmed, stopping in the doorway. "We'll always be friends – no matter what happens." And with that, he left.

* * *

Five days later, Lily could move again. Not exactly with precise grace or fine motor control, but move nonetheless.

On that day, Tom dropped by.

"Hi there, Lily," he said softly, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling loads better now," Lily found herself saying happily. _Just the person she wanted to see._

"That's good to know," Tom said, obviously relieved. "I was so worried about you, Lily, when you fell. Madam Pomfrey said you might not make it."

"But I did, didn't I?" Lily said cheerfully, taking his Tom's hand in hers rather clumsily. "I beat the odds!"

"You sure did. You're a born fighter, Lily."

Lily smiled. "What happened after the game, Tom? After I fell. Did Slytherin win?"

"I'm sorry to say so, but they did. Violet caught the snitch just about a minute after you fell. The end score was 160 - 50 to Slytherin."

Lily groaned in fake terror. "Alli's gonna kill me!" she said. "She'll slaughter me in cold blood and drag my body off to be buried underneath the Quidditch – "

"Don't joke around like that!" Tom snapped, taking Lily off guard with his suddenness. "Don't let me ever hear you talk about dying again!" He caught a glimpse of Lily's reproachful look and softened.

"You don't know how scared I was when I saw you lying there on that accursed field, looking so pale and dead. I know you might think this is stupid, or too soon or something – but I'm going to go right out and say it. I love you, Lily. I don't know what I would do if you died." Tom seemed distraught by Lily's lack of interjection during his speech, so he started rambling. "Maybe I'm rushing things," he admitted, frowning. "We've barely even known each other for a week and now, I'm expecting you to be in love with me. But, I've loved you since I first saw you, Lily – from the very first second I laid eyes on you. You were prettiest, sweetest little thing I had ever seen. And, right now, to be honest, I'm tired of waiting. I don't care if I'm advancing too quickly with our relationship. I just need to know if you love me back."

Lily, beyond dazed at this moment, wrapped her arms around Tom's shoulders. "I think you know the answer already," she whispered shakily, leaning closer to his face. "I _do_ love you, Tom. I've always loved you."

And then their lips met. It was like a burning, flickering fire had made its way into Lily's heart. The incredible, blazing emotion just couldn't be extinguished, and Lily felt herself giving in to the kiss. She melded into Tom's body, feeling the reassuring sensation of his fingers twisting through her hair, stroking her face, caressing her. It was wonderful. Everything about him was wonderful – his captivating green eyes, his perfect lips, his breath on her cheek. Everything.

All too soon, the kiss ended. Lily flopped back onto her pillow with a crazy gleam in her eye. "Mmmm…that was good," she murmured. "Where'd you learn how to kiss like that?"

Tom laughed, running a tender hand down the length of her face. "Where'd _you_ learn how to kiss like that?"

Lily ignored the question. "I guess this settles it then," she said, smiling.

"Settles what?"

"Settles our relationship. It's official now – Tom Elddir and Lily Potter are in love."

Tom moaned. "Whatever will we tell the world?"

"We'll tell them the truth," Lily declared, a steely glint in her eye. "We'll tell them that we love each other, and there's nothing anyone or anything can do about it."

"So true." And with that, Tom leaned in for another kiss.


	9. A Budding Romance

Two weeks later, Lily was out of the hospital wing, having made a full recovery. Madam Pomfrey had dismissed Lily somewhat earlier than she would have liked, but her little patient was insistent on getting back to her friends, her classes, and her life.

"Bye, Madam Pomfrey," Lily said, giving her a quick hug. "Thanks for helping me!"

Madam Pomfrey returned the hug with a tender squeeze. "You're very welcome, darling," she said affectionately. Lily had grown on her over the past couple of weeks. She was such a sweet little girl.

"Now, run along," Madam Pomfrey said hurriedly, trying to disguise the emotion in her voice. "I'm sure all of your friends will want to see you!"

Lily grabbed her stuff and shot out of the room, her bright red hair bouncing up and down as she hurtled down the corridor. Her feet pounded on the brick paving of the castle and she felt a thrill of joy rush through her body. She could run again! It felt so good to move her sore legs after being in bed for so long. The feeling was indescribable. She ran faster, pushing her body to its limits.

Then, Lily tripped. She felt herself falling forward with her arms outstretched, with nothing to hold onto, nothing to save her…

And then, Tom was holding her in his firm, steady grasp. He peered down at her worriedly, with those mesmerizing green eyes of his, and Lily grinned sheepishly. It seemed that they always met by bumping into each other.

"Fancy meeting you here," Tom said, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Shouldn't you be lying sick in bed, calling out my name in an utterly distressed voice?"

"I just got dismissed, so there's no need to worry! I'm not, like, _escaping_ from the wretched place or anything!" Lily protested.

"From the way you were running, it looked like you were."

Lily smiled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "It was just amazing to move my legs again. You don't know how long I've been cramped up in that room, waiting to get out."

"Ah. The prisoner has been released."

Lily let out a little sigh of happiness. "Yes, she has. And it feels amazing."

Tom wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace, burying his face in her hair. "It's good to have you back, Lily," he said, voice muffled. "I missed you."

"You visited me in the hospital wing almost every day."

"But it wasn't the same."

Lily blushed, trying not to look at his face, but it was impossible. His eyes drew her in and then she was moving forward, about to place her lips on his…

"Whoa – what the – MERLIN'S BEARD!" Alli yelled as she stumbled into the corridor and happened across the couple. "LILY? What in the name of nargles are you doing?"

Lily cast an amused glance at Tom. _Here goes nothing_, she thought to herself.

"Kissing my boyfriend," she said, brushing her lips with Tom's. "Told you I'd kiss him by the end of the year. Heck, it's only October now. I'm doing pretty well, if I do say so myself."

Alli just gaped, staring from Tom to Lily with huge eyes. This went beyond her. She'd never really expected Lily to kiss Tom, but here they were, standing here in this corridor – and it was only October. No – freaking – way. This was crazy. This was amazing. This was…wonderful.

"This is so _wonderful_!" Alli shrieked, barreling into Lily and giving her a bone-crushing hug. "I'm so glad for you!"

"Ouch – Alli – I'm still sore – " Lily mumbled. Alli released her immediately, apologizing.

"Sorry, Lils! I'm just so happy for you!"

Tom frowned lightly at Lily. "What's this about you kissing me before the end of the year?"

Lily laughed. "I made a bet with Alli earlier this year that I'd win you over. And I did!"

Tom chuckled. "I have to agree with that." He took Lily's hand and started walking. "Coming, Alli?" he asked casually.

Alli trailed along behind them. "Yeah, sure," she said. "What classes do you guys have next?"

"Lily and I both have Herbology. And what about you?"

"Herbology, duh! I'm in the same class as you two, remember?"

Lily chortled and rolled her eyes. "How could we ever forget?"

Alli playfully punched her friend on the shoulder. "Hey – just because I'm not the number one person in your life anymore doesn't mean that you should poke fun at me!"

"Oh, whoops." Lily said sarcastically. "I'll have to refrain from that in the future."

"Yes, you should."

"Okay, fine – I will!"

Tom smirked. Girls could be quite comical sometimes.

"So, Alli," he began, a note of humor saturating his voice. "You and Lily are best friends, yet you always seem to be arguing about something or another. Any identifiable reason for these friendly battles?"

Alli grinned and hugged Lily, all traces of mockery gone. "Opposites attract," she said lightly, looking him in the eyes. "You of all people should know that, Tom. Like with you and Lily – she's the sun and you're the moon, but you like it that way. You still love each other."

"Point taken."

Lily giggled. _It's so true_, she thought to herself. _Tom and I are total, exact opposites. Tom is darkness – handsome, mysterious, alluring; I am light – beautiful, radiant, and glowing. We're so different, but so alike. And we still love each other._

The rest of the walk to Herbology was peaceful and quiet. Somehow, even Alli managed to stop her incessant flow of chatter for a few minutes. As they stepped out of the castle, a cool, crisp breeze bit their faces, reminding them that autumn wasn't far away.

For as long as she could remember, Lily had loved the autumn. It had always been her favorite season. Autumn meant that she and her family would play two-on-two Quidditch in the clearing by their house, while Albus reluctantly kept score. Autumn meant that she would take lighthearted walks through the woods, admiring the beautiful colors of the dying leaves and picking blueberries until her fingers were stained. And most of all, autumn meant to Lily that no matter what you try to do to stop it, life goes on. Every happy thing must end, but then good times would come again. Winter would pass, and when the spring took its place, everything would grow anew, and the cycle would start all over again. It was autumn's role in the cycle that Lily loved. The change. The transition from boiling hot to freezing cold. The subtle way autumn paved the way for winter. The way autumn was a midpoint between two very separate worlds. But most importantly, the amazing, never-ceasing, unstoppable change.

As Lily looked at Tom and Alli, she smiled. _Well_, she thought to herself. _Maybe _some_ things shouldn't change. I want Tom and Alli to stay with me forever._

The friends neared closer to the greenhouses. Professor Longbottom caught a glimpse of the three and waved them over. "We're working in Greenhouse 4 today," he said as they approached. "Make sure you have your gloves with you. You'll need them during the lesson."

He started, catching sight of Lily. "Ah, Lily, good to have you back!" he said, seeming to be genuinely pleased. "We've all missed you for the past couple of weeks. Are you feeling any better now?"

"Yes, sir. I'm feeling much better now."

"Good, good! Would you mind telling your parents that Hannah, Sylvia, and I are coming over for Christmas dinner over the winter holiday? Just want to let them know in advance, that way your mother can make enough food." He chuckled, pointing to his slim, dreamy-looking daughter who stood next to the greenhouse. "She may not look like it, but Sylvia can eat as much as a full-grown hippogriff when she's hungry enough!"

"Well, I'll make sure to tell them, sir," Lily said cheerily. "I know they'll be pleased to see you and your family."

"Wonderful!" Professor Longbottom said, patting her on the back. "Now, I think you three should go join Sylvia. She looks a bit lonely."

Lily nodded happily. "Of course, sir," she said, leading her friends over to where Neville's daughter stood, staring at her feet.

Sylvia was very small and thin, almost a foot shorter than Lily, even though they were about the same age. Her hair fell across her shoulders in big, curly blonde waves, and her grey eyes were always dreamy. She was like a perfect, miniature copy of Luna Scamander, an old family friend of the Potters. Lily had met Sylvia on a few occasions, but had never really gotten to know her very well.

"Hi Sylvia!" Lily chirped as they neared the place where she was standing.

Sylvia looked up, eyes brimming with happiness. "Hi there," she said dreamily, twisting a strand of hair around her fingers. "Lily, isn't it? I saw you fall at the Quidditch match. Are you okay?"

"I'm feeling loads better now. Madam Pomfrey got me ship-shape in no time."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that," Sylvia said serenely. "I was very worried about you."

"Well…thanks."

"You're very welcome." Sylvia peeked around Lily's arm. "Can you introduce me to your friends?"

"Oh, whoops, sorry!" Lily apologized. She pointed to Tom. "This is Tom Elddir," she said. Then, she pointed to Alli. "And this is Allison Dupree – but she'll kill you if you don't call her Alli." Lily told her jokingly.

Sylvia's eyes widened, alarm crossing her mild features. "That doesn't sound very nice!" She took a step back, looking at Alli as if she were a werewolf.

Lily bit back a laugh. Trying to keep her face straight, she explained to Sylvia that she was only kidding and that Alli wouldn't really kill her, since she was one of the nicest people Lily knew. Sylvia relaxed visibly, and was even brave enough to give Alli a hug.

_Is this girl for real?_ Lily thought to herself, smiling.

"Okay, class," Professor Longbottom said. "Time to go into the greenhouse."

The class filed in.

The warmth of the greenhouse hit Lily almost immediately, seeing as it was such a contrast to the nippy air outside. _Must be a Heat Charm_, she decided to herself. She choose a table near the back of the room, and Tom followed her.

"Grab a partner now, don't be shy!" Professor Longbottom encouraged.

Alli and Sylvia popped up next to Lily and Tom. "Alli and I are working together!" Sylvia exclaimed delightedly. "She's such a nice person to be my partner. No one ever asks me, since they usually think I'm too odd."

_Poor, pitiful little thing_, Lily thought to herself sadly. _It's so sweet for Alli to be her partner._ _I'll do my best to make Sylvia feel better over the winter holiday. _

"Does everyone have a partner?" Professor Longbottom asked.

"Yes, Professor Longbottom," the class chorused.

"Good!" he said. "Today, we'll be working with Ashroses."

The class let out a collective moan.

"Don't worry," Professor Longbottom assured them. "It's not that hard once you learn how to do it." He grabbed what looked like a long piece of bark from the table in front of him and held it up in front of the class. "This is an Ashrose," he announced. "It may not look like much now, but it's the rose is only revealed once you peel the bark off. Ashroses are known for their beauty, along with their many healing properties. You can find them in many potions, but most notably Veritaserum and Felix Felicis. "

"And, of course," Professor Longbottom said, grinning. "We couldn't forget what Ashroses are most widely known for. He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "Love," he said finally, his voice echoing around the silent room. "They're just like Cupid's arrows. If you get pricked by one of the thorns, you'll instantly fall in love with the next person you see."

That shut the class up.

"What I want you to do today is debark these Ashroses for me." Professor Longbottom said. "Here's how you do it." He held up the piece of bark. "All you have to do is take one hand – like this," he showed the class. "And pull the bark off. Then – CAREFULLY – remove the flower. Make sure you have gloves on. There is a remedy for being pricked by an Ashrose, but it's very expensive and quite hard to find nowadays." He looked at everyone. "You need to complete three Ashroses each in order to receive full credit for this assignment. Ready…set – go!"

Half the class bolted eagerly towards the Ashroses and half the class remained where they were. Lily was one of the later, seeing as Tom had volunteered to get her Ashroses for her.

He came back, arms full. "Here you go," he said, dropping three onto her table.

"Thanks, Tom!' Lily said brightly.

"No problem."

Lily wasted no time in getting to work. Professor Longbottom had made it seem much easier than it was. In reality, it was tricky. Lily winced as the bark got under her nails and scraped her fingers countless times. Ow. It hurt. Lily looked around the room and was relieved to see that everyone else was struggling, just like her. Except for Tom, of course. He already had two Ashroses complete and was nearly done with the last.

Lily felt dazed. Why, why, _why_ did Tom have to be so good at everything? It wasn't fair!

"How did you do that?" she asked hopelessly, staring down at her barely dented piece of bark with a look of pure exasperation.

Tom moved his eyes over her grubby fingers, her stained robes, and her desperate face. He smiled. "Let me show you how," he said, moving closer to where Lily stood. He held out his piece in demonstration. "All you have to do is find the weak spot of the bark – it should be somewhere near the ends."

Lily moved her finger around one end of the bark and surprised herself when she found a soft spot. "I think I've got it."

"Okay, now what you have to do is get your finger under it."

Lily did so.

"Good. Now all you have to do is peel the bark away from that spot. Just lift up."

Lily pulled, and to her amazement, the bark peeled off smoothly, in a long, wide strip that exposed the flower underneath. She looked around the greenhouse in wonder. No one else had gotten this far yet – especially not Alli and Sylvia, who had just given up on the whole ordeal and were now pointing their wands at the pieces of bark, trying to curse it into opening.

"You're doing wonderful, Lily!" Tom exclaimed. "Now, carefully pull the rose out of the bark. Make sure not to let the thorns touch your fingers," Tom instructed. "You don't want that to happen."

Lily smiled up at him lovingly. "And why not?" she asked, leaning back against his warm, sturdy chest. "It couldn't hurt to love you more, could it?"

"I'd let you do it, but I don't want your eyes falling on anyone else after you prick yourself."

"Jealous much?"

"Very."

Lily laughed, and lifted the rose from the remains of the bark. She gasped, understanding why the flower had been named an Ashrose. It was a beautiful, delicate shade of creamy, pearly white, with slight smudges of charcoal black sprinkling the leaves. It was perfect. Too perfect to be real.

"It's – it's beautiful!" Lily stammered, unable to take her eyes away from the delicate rose.

Tom took her hand in his. "I thought you'd like it," he said softly, his breath tickling Lily's ear. "It's my favorite flower."

Lily tore her eyes away from the rose and managed to look at Tom. "Is that the reason you knew how to take the bark off?" she asked weakly.

Tom nodded. "I love Ashroses," he said quietly. "Whenever I see them, I think of us, Lily." He tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "We were both covered by bark until we first saw each other. Slowly, inch by inch, we revealed ourselves to the world. And then, we finally met. The bark was gone, the flower was showing. We picked it up and the poison in the thorns stung us so bad, we knew we'd never have a chance."

Lily said nothing for a while. She was too busy taking in the beauty of Tom's words. He had a way of describing things that made her realize their meaning and their truth. He was amazing. What he said, what he did, how he acted – Lily loved it. Every last drop.

"I don't care about that stupid love poison," Lily said finally. "Because it's given me you."

She wrapped her arms around Tom's neck and leaned in to kiss him, but he put a finger over her mouth, looking around to make sure no one had seen what had happened. No one had. Gently, he detangled himself from Lily's fervent embrace.

"Sorry, Lils," he murmured in her ear. "But let's save the all the fun for somewhere more private, why don't we?"

Lily found herself blushing. _I need to get a hold of myself!_ She thought. _I can't just go around snogging Tom in public!_

As if reading her mind, Tom smiled sympathetically. "You need to try to avoid the temptation," he said. "Even if it's for my sake only. If you start throwing yourself at me, I'll never be able to resist."

"Okay," Lily nodded. It made sense. If either one of them lost control, it would result in a chain reaction. She grimaced. "Guess I'll just have to fight the urge, huh?"

"With all your Gyffindoric strength."

"_Rawr!_ I think I can handle that. I survived a 55 foot fall, remember?"

"Do I ever," Tom said, putting a hand over his head. "Please, try not to remind me of that."

"I'll do my best."

The pair worked in silence for a few more minutes until they had stripped the bark from all of their Ashroses.

"Do we take these to Professor Longbottom?" Lily asked. "Or do we just tell him to come see that we're done?"

Tom considered. "I think we take them up to him. He'd probably want to give the roses to Professor Baker so she could use them in Potions class."

Lily made a move to pick up her neat stack of Ashroses, but Tom stopped her, nudging her arm away. "I don't want you overusing your muscles on the first day back," he warned. "Even though the flowers may look light, they're not really. I'll take them up for you." He piled Lily's Ashroses into his arms and walked over to Professor Longbottom.

_Holy mother of Merlin! He's so sweet! _Lily thought to herself, stunned by his chivalrousness.

Tom walked back, roses gone. "Yep," he said as he joined her again. "He collected them. He was pretty surprised at how fast we got done, but I didn't tell him our secret."

Tom noticed Lily staring at him as if he'd just grown two more heads and a tail. "What?" he asked anxiously. "Did I spill something on my robes?"

Lily shook her head mutely.

"What is it? Come on Lily, talk to me!"

Lily sighed miserably. "You – you – you're just so good at this," she said weakly, shaking her head, apparently traumatized. "At making me feel special."

Tom smiled. "You are special, Lily. You deserve to be treated that way." He looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then lightly kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Lily breathed, fighting hard. Tom had been right about the chain reaction. It took her all she had to keep from returning the kiss.

Professor Longbottom looked up in alarm, having just taken a glance at his watch. "Only two more minutes left, everyone!" he announced. "Make sure you finish in time!"

The room was thrown into chaos. Bits of bark and half-stripped Ashroses flew in all directions as the class scrambled to finish the assignment on time. Lily and Tom just looked at each other, entertained expressions on their faces.

And then, the class was over. The students were ushered out of the greenhouse.

"Bye, Tom!" Lily whispered as she was pushed along by the sea of bodies. "See you tomorrow!"

He waved goodbye in response, flashing her a dazzling smile.

* * *

The rest of the day flew by. Lily practically floated through all of her classes, grinning like a loon. Being with Tom earlier that morning had been so wonderful.

Before she knew it, night came. Lily walked through the corridor that led to the Gryffindor Common Room, idly remembering that she had been here only a few weeks previously with Tom. Before they knew each other. Before they were in love.

Lily panicked considerably when she realized that she had only known Tom for 15 days. Just 15. 15 days ago, they had never even met. They didn't know each other at all, then. And yet, here they were today, beyond the kissing stage, saying they were 'in love.'

Lily started questioning how this had all come on. It had happened so quickly, she barely had time to think about anything, let alone recognize her true feelings. She thought she loved Tom, but now that she had brought up the subject, she wasn't quite sure. She had wanted him for so long. Could it be lust, or maybe desire? Was that what it had turned into – a love brought about by obsession?

Lily shook her head. _It couldn't be_, she reassured herself. _Tom said that he loved me. I think he meant it._

But still, she resigned herself to ask him about it in the morning.

"Porcupines," Lily whispered to the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open, and she clambered into the dimly lit, cozy Gryffindor Common Room. A sudden wave of tiredness crashed over her, and Lily felt herself swaying. All she wanted to do now was go to sleep.

She trudged up the stairs and cracked open the door to her dormitory. A gasp of delight escaped from her lips when she saw what was inside.

A single, perfect Ashrose was lying on her bed.


End file.
